SmackDown Countdown 2004: Roddy Piper

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The Hot Rod is back! And this time, with long hair.

By Jeremy Dunham

To call it IGN's most popular recurring feature would be an understatement. And to think that we would ever let a year go by where we didn't revisit the famed SmackDown Countdown is a serious mistake on all parts. So for this, our fourth consecutive year, your friends here at IGNPS2 have returned to the squared circle to once bring you just one step closer to the men and women that do so much to make THQ's successful wrestling franchise what it is: awesome.

And fittingly enough, this year's edition of the fashionable franchise is easily its most ambitious version to date, as WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW marks the first time in the series' history that it takes a step into the online arena. And though this new version does suffer from a slightly smaller roster when compared to last year's Here Comes the Pain, it still manages to pack in an incredible amount of new features that should more than make up for the lack of wrestlers. Refined graphics, smarter AI, better grappling mechanics, and an improved presentation are just a few of the improvements worth mentioning; with several other more subtle refinements, best left for you to the gamer to uncover.

In the meantime, we're dedicating ourselves to bringing our fans the best damn SmackDown coverage they could ever hope for. As we're spending the next seven weeks highlighting all 52 current and legendary superstars on the SmackDown vs. RAW roster in a way we haven't done before. So to do things a little bit differently, we're going to reward dedicated wrestling fans by giving them two wrestlers every Monday and Thursday (the nights that SmackDown! and RAW air on television) in addition to our solo updates on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. When we reach the legends in our countdown, we'll go ahead and up the ante again by providing you with two of them every day until we've reached all eleven. Sound good? Thought so!

But enough with the setup already, let's get the show on the road! So sit back, relax, and enjoy today's Countdown superstar, Roddy Piper!

Height: 6'2"

Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland

Weight:235lbs

He hailed from Glasgow, Scotland and spent most of his early years in Canada. Roddy Piper brought to the Ring toughness and the ability to irritate his opponents and the fans that have set a standard by which others are compared.

Roderick Toombs was the son of a tough Canadian policeman and this toughness passed down to him. After repeated disagreements with his father, young Roderick left his family's house at age 12 living wherever he could for the next three years. Having become a noted young boxer and amateur wrestler, he was offered $25.00 by a Canadian promoter to appear in a match and he accepted. The 15 year old was defeated by former world champion Larry "the Axe" Hennig in ten seconds. Rather than be discouraged by the defeat, he foresaw his future - and it was in wrestling.

As Roddy Piper he moved to the Pacific Northwest promotion and then moved down to Los Angeles where he won the NWA Americas title and the Los Angeles Battle Royal in 1976. He next held one half of the NWA Americas tag team title and the NWA US title in 1978. In 1981 Piper took on Ric Flair and defeated him for the NWA US title and then defeated Ricky Steamboat for the NWA Mid-Atlantic belt later in the year. In 1983 he regained the NWA US title in a legendary dog-collar match against Greg "the Hammer" Valentine. Having found success throughout the NWA regions, Piper moved to the Northeast in 1984 to join the WWF. He became an immediate success as the top heel in the promotion. While many credit Hulk Hogan for bringing about the huge resurgence in popularity of professional wrestling (and rightly so) it is important to remember that without the villainy brought to the Ring by Piper, Hogan would never had been in a position to be the conquering hero. Pipers challenge to Hogan and actor Mr. T. would bring about the most important event in WWF history to that point - WrestleMania I. Although the match ended in a disqualification, it brought mainstream attention to professional wrestling and allowed the WWF to flex its muscle and become the major contender to the NWA.

Piper was quite capable as a ring performer but where he excelled (and exceeded) was in front of a microphone. Piper was the most obnoxious, irritating and offensive heel ever to set foot in the WWF and through his Piper's Fit interview segment could be counted on to set into motion most of the major storylines for the WWF. His speaking ability gave him the impetus to move in another direction - that of a movie star. Piper obtained numerous roles in movies, the most well-known of which was "They Live." Piper gained wide praise for his role and would gain on to play in more than 15 other movies, one of those rare wrestlers who were able to crossover to the "real" acting world.

That's it for today's installment of the 2004 SmackDown Countdown. We'll be back again tomorrow with our next superstar (keep in mind that all statistical attributes are considered temporary until the final version of the game ships this November). In the meantime, check our table below for links to the superstars we've already covered and for hints as to who you can expect to see next. See you again real soon!